What modalities in TCM does Chi Wellness Clinic offer?
How does acupuncture treat diseases?
Is acupuncture safe?
Does acupuncture cause any pain?  
Which health conditions can acupuncture treat?

Acupuncture: Needle on an acupoint
Massage therapy: Tuina (also called Anmo)
Moxibustion: Burning an herbal stick placed above an acupoint
Cupping: Vacuum suction cups on the skin (near acupoints)
Herbs: Herbal Medicine (fighting diseases), Dietary Supplements (seasonal adjustment)
Therapeutic exercises: Tai Chi, Qi Gong and many others

Acupuncture involves the insertion of hair-thin needles into specific points on the body. There are as many as 2,000 acupuncture points on the human body (though only about 350 acupoints are commonly used), which are connected by 20 meridians (channels and collaterals). Most people feel only a minimal amount of pain as the needles are inserted. When practiced by a licensed practitioner, acupuncture is extremely safe and does no harm. It can treat many health conditions, and also bring total relaxation to the mind and body.

An acupuncture session usually takes 30-45 minutes. Patients will need a thorough diagnosis first. Most patients are treated once a week; some are treated up to three times per week. We expect patients to feel some relief of symptoms after a couple of sessions. Due to many variables, it is difficult to predict how long it will take for acupuncture to cure a particular health condition.

Acupatch is an adhesive patch with a metal pellet, which can stimulate an acupuncture point without penetrating the skin. Acupatch is effective in its own right, but acts more slowly than acupuncture. It is more effective for shallow acupoints, such as on the ear. The advantage of acupatch is that patients can massage the acupoints themselves, thus relieving certain symptoms on demand. We usually use acupatch in conjunction with acupuncture. For patients who do not like needles, acupatches may be used without acupuncture. Acupatch is effective for headaches, pain relief, weight issues and various addictions (smoking, drinking, substance abuse). An acupatch session takes about 10-20 minutes. Patients need to visit the clinic twice a week.

Cupping is carried out by placing an oxygen-depleted glass cup on the skin. The vacuum, which is created by a burning taper placed briefly inside the cup prior to its placement on the skin, stimulates the flow of Chi and blood in the cupping area. Cupping therapy can be performed as an alternative to acupuncture. The cups are placed over acupuncture points, but they treat a larger area of the body. At Chi Wellness, cupping is usually used in conjunction with massage or acupuncture as needed. A cupping session takes about 20-30 minutes.

Herbal formulas consist of a combination of herbs. There are 150,000 formulas recorded in Chinese medicine. Herbalists prescribe formulas specifically tailored for a particular patient and a particular medical manifestation of a condition. Here, Chinese herbal medicine has an advantage over other types of herbal treatments. Herbal remedies are effective for many health conditions and have few side effects when prescribed by qualified practitioners.

Patients need a thorough diagnosis before being given a prescription (a combination of 5-20 herbs). A prescription is used for 1-2 weeks before patients are reevaluated. Chi Wellness is still in the process of building a pharmacy of 200 kinds of herbal extract powders. Meanwhile, we provide our patients with herbs in raw forms (requiring brewing) or powder forms through other quality herbal pharmacies in Boston.

Tuina Massage therapy is called Tuina (meaning push and pull) in China. The Tuina therapist manipulates the energy in the body by kneading the points along the Chi meridians. There are four main schools of Tuina, encompassing about twenty techniques. One, is Acupressure, which relies on fingers to stimulate acupoints. Tuina is used for relief of pain, headache, injuries, stress, insomnia, poor digestion, and irritable bowel syndrome. During a Tuina session, especially those of one hour or longer, patients get into a state of tranquility and total relaxation. Patients feel rested and yet energized afterwards. The therapeutic effects of Tuina often last for days and even up to a week.

Our form of massage is deep, strong and precise. During the first visit, we recommend customers with chronic aches and pains have a whole body massage, which takes approximately one hour. In the first session, our therapist will survey and diagnose sore points throughout the body and systematically relieve pain. Our treatment will not only treat pain being felt at the moment, but will also expose and address hidden pain. The latter may cause future injuries and health complications if not treated properly. It is particularly effective to combine therapeutic Tuina with acupuncture therapies. During, or shortly after the session, customers may experience some soreness. This should not be cause for alarm or require any treatment with medication.

Reflexologyis a form of therapeutic massage in Tuina that is applied to the feet or head. According to Chinese medicine, the feet or head reflect health conditions of various parts of the body. Reflexology massage can promote overall wellness, and relieve stress, headaches, strains and pains. Reflexology massage is strong, but more refined than whole body massage. Patients feel light and energized afterwards.

Tai Chi, an ancient Chinese exercise, combines martial arts with Chi-Gong (or Qigong) breathing techniques. Tai Chi is a serious yet gentle workout that brings a unique state of tranquility. Tai Chi's therapeutic benefits include: stress release, relaxation of mind and body, relief of aches and pains, and improvement of strength, flexibility, balance and coordination. Tai Chi excise requires regular practice. Average students may expect to gain therapeutic benefits after 3 to 12 months of practice.

How does acupuncture treat diseases?
According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, disease results from a depletion or congestion of Chi. Acupuncture works by stimulating the various acupoints in the body, thus allowing the vital energy, Chi, to flow freely along the meridians. However, the biological mechanism of acupuncture's therapeutic power remains to be elucidated by modern scientists.

Several theories have been presented as to exactly how acupuncture works. One theory suggests that pain impulses are blocked from reaching the spinal cord or brain at various "gates" to these areas. Since a majority of acupuncture points are either connected to (or are located near) neural structures, this suggests that acupuncture stimulates the nervous system.

Another theory suggests that acupuncture stimulates the body to produce narcotic-like substances, called endorphins, which reduce pain. Other studies have found that other pain-relieving substances, called opiates, may be released into the body during acupuncture treatment.

Is acupuncture safe?
When practiced by a licensed, trained acupuncturist, acupuncture is extremely safe. As a system of natural healthcare, acupuncture already has some inherent safeguards. Because the treatment is drug-free, patients do not have to worry about taking several doses of a medication or suffering a possible adverse reaction.

Properly administered, acupuncture does no harm. However, there are certain conditions you should notify an acupuncturist about before undergoing treatment. If you have a pacemaker, for instance, you should not receive electro-acupuncture due to the possibility of electromagnetic interference with the pacemaker. Similarly, if you have a tendency to bleed or bruise easily, or if you are a hemophiliac, you may want to consider a different type of care.

Does acupuncture cause any pain?
Unlike hypodermic needles, acupuncture needles are solid and hair-thin, and are not designed to cut the skin. They are also inserted generally no more than a half-inch to an inch, depending on the type of treatment delivered.

While each person experiences acupuncture differently, most people feel only a minimal amount of pain as the needles are inserted - like a tap on the skin. Some people reportedly feel a sensation of being energized, while others feel relaxed. If you experience significant pain from the needles, it may be a sign that the procedure is being done improperly.

Which health conditions can acupuncture treat?
In the late 1970s, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized the ability of acupuncture and Oriental medicine to treat nearly four dozen common ailments including: neuromusculoskeletal conditions (such as arthritis, neuralgia, insomnia, dizziness, and neck/shoulder pain), emotional and psychological disorders (such as depression and anxiety), circulatory disorders (such as hypertension, angina pectoris, arteriosclerosis and anemia), addictions (to alcohol, nicotine and other drugs), respiratory disorders (such as emphysema, sinusitis, allergies and bronchitis) and gastrointestinal conditions (such as food allergies, ulcers, chronic diarrhea, constipation, indigestion, intestinal weakness, anorexia and gastritis).

In 1997, a consensus statement, released by the National Institute of Health (NIH), found that acupuncture could be useful by itself, or in combination with other therapies, to treat addictions, headaches, menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, osteoarthritis, lower back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and asthma.

Other studies have demonstrated that acupuncture may help in the rehabilitation of stroke patients and can relieve nausea in patients recovering from surgery.